Never Give Up On Hope (and love)
by DearMissKara
Summary: Naru is watching Nephrite dying right before her eyes. But there is a way to save him. Will he ever return back to her? Please R&R! I do not own the characters. Characters are owned by Naoko Takeuchi.


I do not own the characters. The characters are owned by Naoko Takeuchi. I tried to stay in the Sailor Moon universe but I took a little bit for both the manga and the anime. Please R&R.

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Nephrite was badly injured when his own brethren's Youma stabbed him. Naru's eyes were wide with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her small hands began to shake and she gently touched Nephrite's cheek. She was going to lose him when she had just found true love. He looked so weak and his breathing was shallow.

He smiled weakly at her and she was sobbing at this point. "Don't leave me," she cried out weakly. He softly said "I won't. I just need to rest for awhile..." Naru was startled when heard the noises of Sailor Moon and her Sailor Senshi approaching and a caped man wearing a mask was with them.

Naru continued to cry whispering sadly "Please don't go." Nephrite said tenderly "I love you." He started to close his eyes and the man behind Naru said softly "He is dying. Do you want to save him? My name is Tuxedo Kamden."

She whispered fiercely "Yes. Anything. Please." She leaned down to kiss Nephrite and he started to disappear in her arms, bubbling lights as if he was floating away. Yet a rose was in place of where he was, a small ribbon tied around with a nephrite stone holding it in place.

Naru felt too shocked to speak but her tears continued to flood down her face and Tuxedo Kamden said soothingly "He is incased in the beautiful rock. Treasure it and care for it. When he heals, he will return to you. Only you can awaken him."

Her shoulders began to shake and she cried out "I will!" She gingerly cradled the rock in her hand, sobbed softly into the smooth hard surface. Her blue eyes looked so tired when she eventually opened them, her best friend Usagi standing above her. Naru looked confused at Usagi sniffling "What are you doing here?"

Naru looked around and noticed the Sailor Senshi was gone and so was Tuxedo Kamden. Usagi flushed saying quickly "I was on a walk and I noticed you were crying so I wanted to know what's wrong." Usagi wasn't meeting her eyes when she said this.

Usagi had tears in her owns eyes when she looked up and she said to Naru sadly, "I won't leave you alone here." Naru stood up slowly her legs shaking from being on the ground for so long. She smiled at her best friend, her tears long dry and she said sweetly "Thank you Usagi. I love you." Usagi flushed happily and said "I love you too!" She gave her friend a strong hug and Usagi told Naru "Lets get you home before your mother finds out or your sister tattles on you."

They giggled like Naru's entire life didn't just change and it was nice Usagi was trying to make her not think about what happened. Naru held the small rock in her hand and thought tenderly 'I love you. You will come back to me.'

When she got home and into bed, she laid down to sleep, cradling the small stone against her chest and she swore she felt his strong arms hold her as she slept. In her dreams she dreamt of going on dates with him and stolen kisses outside the school gates.

That happened two years ago and Naru still dreams of him every night. Sometimes they are chatting at a cafe eating a parfait. Then occasionally they don't talk at all and just smile at each other at a park.

She wakes up with tears of joy twinkling down her face and when she feels the small rock clutched her hand, she is brought back to reality that he is still inside that rock. Her hair is messy damp curls around her face and cheeks are wet.

Naru sat up to get ready for school, she is in high school now, and she called Usagi to make sure they were still going to school together. Recently Usagi's boyfriend Mamoru was taking them both to school. Usagi didn't answer her phone and was probably still sleeping. Naru sighed, brushing her short auburn and curly hair.

She got her uniform on, ate breakfast and said good bye to her sister and mother before heading to school. Usagi met her at the gates with Ami and Makoto, Naru talks to Ami sometimes but she isn't close with Usagi's friends.

She ate lunch with them and did her homework in the library. She went home and helped her sister with her homework. Naru watched some television and laid down early to sleep. Her mother complains how often she goes to bed early but when she sleeps Naru is at peace.

Nephrite is with her in her dreams. This is the only way she can see him, she had began to lose hope a long time ago that he was never returning to her. She kissed the small stone in her hand and closed her eyes to sleep, still wearing her school uniform.

In her dream Nephrite was scolding her for falling asleep with her uniform on and he cooked dinner for the two of them. She was older and he asked her to marry him. That was the best dream she had in a long time, and when she woke up she felt naked without the weight of a wedding ring on her finger.

All of her dreams were realistic and it takes her breath away everyone time he smiles at her. Usagi tried to set her up with Umino a couple times but Naru only saw him as a friend. She would tell her best friend she is waiting to find the right guy.

Though the right guy for her is trapped in a small rock that sits in her bra when she is at school. Sometimes she can't believe that is waiting to move on with her life because of a silly rock. But she feels guilty every time she thinks that, since the guy she loves is inside that rock.

She laid in bed while cradling the rock near her face and she whispered softly "I love you Nephrite. You are a good person. Please come back to me." The rock felt warm next her cheek and she fell asleep once again in that position.

When she woke up, someone was hovering over her bed. Her eyes were all blurry from sleeping for too long and she mumbled softly "Mom?" Naru heard a soft chuckle and she bolted up right and accidentally bumped heads with the person who laughed.

Naru winced in pain and said softly "Owwie" while the person she injured grumbled above her. She opened her eyes slowly this time and met eyes with someone who looked like Nephrite. She looked up confused and opened her empty hand.

She sat up again, staring down at her empty hand and back up again at Nephrite look-a-like. He had long brown wavy hair, deep blue eyes and he looked to be about the same age when Nephrite was turned into the rock.

He stared at her, smirking slightly but not saying anything. She stuttered softly "N-Nephrite?" He nodded his head and said gently "Hi Naru." She felt the room spin and he leaned forward to quickly catch her as she fainted.

Nephrite was still in her room when she woke up a few minutes later. He was holding Naru's head in his lap and he was running his fingers through her hair soothingly. She stared up at him in awe and said softly "You came back to me."

He smiled down at her and said "You never gave up on me. I healed yet I was still dormant, needing to be sure you weren't going to stop loving me. Your love is what freed me from my slumber." He chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling and said softly "You are my Knight but in a school girl uniform."

She giggled happily, not sure if she is still dreaming or not until he leaned forward, kissing her forehead and whispered fiercely "I will never leave you again. You are too important to me and I am forever humbled that I was given the second chance for redemption."

Naru was flushing from his intensity but frowned saying "Redemption? From what?" Nephrite flushed in anger saying "For getting you mixed up with all the danger back then. It was foolish for me to think I could protect you."

Nephrite had stopped petting her hair but had his fists clenched. Naru sat up, leaning forward to rest one small hand on his cheek and she said sternly but had a bright flush to her face "Now, listen up, I will not be repeating myself. I loved, that is why I tried to protect you. I still love you. I have always loved you."

Naru flushed even deeper at that last two words and rubbed her hair in embarrassment. Nephrite cradled her hand against his cheek and closed his eyes, saying happily "I love you too.. I have always loved you." He opened his deep blue eyes to meet her light blue ones.

They both had pink on their cheeks when they leaned forward to kiss gently. It was a soft kiss on the lips but it meant more to them both than anything in the world. It was the first kiss and Naru was happier than could be.

That was nine months ago, and Naru is graduating high school with honors. Nephrite asked her to marry him for White Day and she couldn't be happier. When they kissed on their wedding day it was like the first time they kissed: sweet, loving and perfection. Just like their relationship and Nephrite hopes their children will be just like their mother: loving, caring & hopeful.

When Nephrite held her in his arms on their wedding night he was at absolute peace. Naru slept soundly while Nephrite refused to fall asleep. He was blessing every moment her chest rose up and down, for every auburn hair that ticked his neck and for her small hand clutching his arm.

She deserved to be happy and he promised himself that for every time she is sick, that he will take care of her. For every time she gets hurt, he will help heal her. For every time she cries, he will console her. Nephrite hand wrote his vows to Naru and he will never fail her.

He whispered gently "I love you Naru," while he slowly entered dreamland with her. They slept together every night for the rest of their lives. Holding each other and loving each other. Forever together.


End file.
